Italian striker merry-go-round could help West Ham finally land one of their main targets

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Serie A is like a striker merry-go-round at the moment and it could play right into West Ham United’s hands.

Striker headache: West Ham manager Slaven Bilic

The Hammers have been linked with a host of top strikers this summer but have already missed out on Dutch star Vincent Janssen after he opted to join Spurs as well as Lyon’s Alexandre Lacazette despite having a record £31 million bid accepted.

Bilic also failed with a bid to lure Belgian star Michy Batshuayi who instead joined London rivals Chelsea while interest in Simeone Zaza at Juventus and Napoli’s Manolo Gabbiadini came to nothing.

Since then West Ham have turned their attentions to AC Milan‘s Colombian star striker Carlos Bacca but that too is in limbo.

West Ham co-owners David Sullivan and David Gold

Striker light

With the big move to the 60,000 seater Olympic Stadium on the horizon in the coming month Gold and his fellow co-owner David Sullivan have pledged to make a marquee striker signing and are willing to spend as much as £30 million on that player.

That search took on extra significance after the Hammers failed to register a shot on target from open play in their embarrassing 2-1 Europa League defeat to Slovenian minnows NK Domzale on Thursday night.

And they could be helped by the current striker merry-go-round in Italy.

Gonzalo Higuain has joined Juventus sparking a transfer merry-go-round

Italian merry-go-round to the rescue?

Napoli’s Gonzalo Higuain has completed a Serie A record £75.3 million move to rivals Juventus.

And that has led to intense speculation that Napoli will use some of their money to lure Mauro Icardi from Inter Milan, as reported by Football Italia.

Carlos Bacca

Bacca-up plan?

Should the Naples side sign Icardi that could reignite the possibility of Gabbiadini being sold, reports Football Italia, while Higuain’s arrival at Juve has pushed Hammers targets Zaza and Mario Mandzukic even further down the pecking order in Turin.

West Ham’s key target Bacca had also been linked with a move to Napoli in the wake of Higuain’s departure, but if Icardi ends up in Naples that could also clear a path for Slaven Bilic to give one last push for the Colombian star.